Oak Bluffs: The Island is a bit emptier

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It’s back to wearing shoes, and school again after this very hot summer. However, last Monday and Tuesday, the cool temperature and windy, rainy days could have fooled us into thinking that the heat and humidity are over, but don’t be misled. We have a few more weeks ahead of us. The Island is a bit emptier, and certainly many boats were swooped out of the water into safer harbors or marinas in anticipation of the heavy weather forecast. We were even lucky enough to get some rain, but it will take a great deal more to get the amount we need. In the meantime, keep aware of students now traveling back and forth to school by foot, bike, bus, and car. And students driving to high school, please take care.

As usual, a small group of friends who have retired from their work at the Oak Bluffs School met at Linda Jean’s for their monthly breakfast gathering. What was different this time was that the friends helped Pam Melrose celebrate a milestone birthday. After breakfast the friends, Gerry Moriarity, Betsy Gately, Jennifer Robinson, Priscilla Sylvia, and myself, sang a joyous and very loud version of “Happy Birthday.” Of course Pam was thrilled, but not quite as much as the rest of the restaurant patrons.

Good Shepherd Parish Church services have switched back to the winter schedule. The Monday-through-Friday daily Mass will be held at 8 am at the Parish Center Chapel in Oak Bluffs, and starting on Sept. 10, all Masses will be at St. Augustine’s Church in Vineyard Haven. Saturday times are 4 pm, with the Portuguese Mass at 7 pm. Sunday Masses are at 9 am and 5 pm.

Start going through your books, folks, as our Oak Bluffs Public Library will be holding an End of Summer Book Drive at the library on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. All books for donation must be in good to excellent condition.

The library will be holding two events especially for kindergartners on their half-days at school. Today from 1 to 2:30 pm, there will be games set up, coloring, and outdoor activities. On Thursday, Sept. 15, from 1 to 2:30 pm, they will enjoy the movie “The Good Dinosaur” and some snacks.

Starting Sept. 8, Dungeon Master Logan will guide you through Dungeons and Dragons every Thursday from 5 to 8 pm.

On Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 am to noon, there will be a craft inspired by Roald Dahl, whose 100th birthday was Sept. 13.

Kristen Anderson arrived from St. Pete’s Beach, Fla., and is here for a few days visiting her parents, Maureen and Bill Anderson. Kristen came East to attend her onetime college roommate’s son’s wedding in Falmouth before arriving on the Vineyard. We spoke about her son Ian Thompson’s experience in Senegal, where he is a volunteer for the Peace Corps. Since May 6, when he reported to the Corps, he has been involved with residents in many areas, including a women’s community garden group, boys high school student group, and interviewing middle school girls for scholarships for their future education. He is also working on grant proposals to bring water to the village. Ian is following in the footsteps of his mother Kristen and his father Stephen, who were Peace Corps volunteers from 1981 to 1983 in Niger, West Africa. (The Corps no longer stations volunteers there because of its precarious military situation.) Congratulations, Ian, for your work, and to your parents for the fine example they set.

We send birthday smiles to Ryan Araujo on the 10th, Emily deBettencourt on the 12th, my daughter Mary Alley on the 13th, and Florence BenDavid on the 15th.

Enjoy your week. Peace.